


Off the Rack

by lauriegilbert



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Family, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Towels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:01:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22042240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lauriegilbert/pseuds/lauriegilbert
Summary: The Enterprise is about to set off on its first five year mission with a couple of extra crew members.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Jocelyn McCoy/Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Comments: 5
Kudos: 68





	Off the Rack

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on LJ on December 5th, 2009. This is possibly the longest fic I have written without a co-writer, and is one I am still proud of a decade later. Damn, it's been a decade already in this fandom!
> 
> This was originally edited years ago by the awesome Florahart, whom I still am blessed to call a friend.

"Daddy! Daddy! Don't go yet! You forgot something!" Joanna ran down the front porch of the old Georgian house holding a bag, almost tripping on the loose stair in her haste to catch her father before he left.  
  
Having turned as soon as he heard his daughter's voice, Leonard McCoy watched her running toward him, holding his breath as she caught herself and kept running. "What is it, Jo-girl? I'm pretty sure I didn't bring anything but what's in my bag already."  
  
"You didn't bring it," she said with a grin, throwing herself back into her dad's arms for one last deep hug. "I forgot to give you your present. You can't leave without it!"  
  
"You didn't have to give me anything, darling," McCoy said into her hair, trying to memorize the sights and sounds one last time before he wouldn't see her for who knew how long. "You're already the most perfect present anyone ever gave me."  
  
"Fiddlesticks," Jo said, although the smile on her face totally showed how much she loved hearing her dad say the words. "You have to have something to take with ya in space. I can't go because Momma's mean and won't let me, so I got you something to take instead."  
  
Joanna waited until she was set down on the ground before she handed the bag over to her dad. "One's for you and one's for Uncle Jim. Make sure he gets it, kay? And don't you dare open 'em until you're both together and actually on the ship. I'm trustin' you so don't you make me regret it!"  
  
McCoy could help laughing at that, although a small part of his brain said he was only laughing to hide the part of his heart that had jumped a beat at the thought of his daughter adopting Jim enough to give him a gift. "I'll make sure he gets it, Jo-girl," he promised, "and I'll make sure he lets you know just how much he loves it, too."  
  
"Good," Jo said. "Now go before you miss your shuttle. Can't keep Captain Jim waiting just for you!"  
  
"One more hug for the road?" McCoy asked, and received, before slipping into the waiting cab. And if he was blinking more than usual on the way to the shuttleport, well that was between him and the anonymous cab driver who got an extra tip for not saying a word while he watched carefully in the rear view mirror.  
  


~~

  
  
"She didn't."  
  
"She did." McCoy tossed one of the packages toward Jim who was sitting on the sofa in his quarters. "And I promised her not only that I'd get it to you, but that you'd make sure you told her how much you loved it personally. So don't make me a liar."  
  
"You're many things, Bones, but a liar isn't one of them," Jim answered. "Besides, you know I'd love anything Jo gave me. I only spent a day with her but damn, you've got yourself a hell of an awesome kid there."  
  
McCoy couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face. "Don't I know it." He sat down on the chair across from Jim, fiddling with the package he held in his own hands, the word daddy scribbled in crayon across the top. "How was your time in Iowa? Any internal injuries I have to repair this time?"  
  
Jim grinned, "Nope. I behaved myself as a true captain should and only fought with those that deserved it."  
  
"Jim-"  
  
"Easy, Bones," Jim said calmly. "I spent most of my time talking things out with Mom and helping her pack up Frank's things to give to charity. I only drank one night, and that was to share a few drinks with an old friend. And before you ask: no, I didn't sleep with him so you don't need to test me for any new STDs, either."  
  
"Apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks," McCoy said.  
  
"Who you calling old?" Jim asked shoving McCoy's leg with his foot. "I'm not the one who'd rather spend his nights curled up with a medical journal and a glass of bourbon than actually go out and do something once in a while."  
  
"Should we open these?" McCoy asked, ignoring the long-standing joke between them. Jim always called him old man and he always called him kid. It was just part of who they were at this point.  
  
"Surprised you haven't already," Jim admitted, picking his up from beside him where he'd set it.  
  
"Promised Jo I'd wait till we were together and on ship," he admitted. "Shall we?"  
  
Jim answered by ripping the paper off of his gift and McCoy quickly followed suit, carefully pulling his off as opposed to Jim's ripping his wrappings down the middle. "Command gold!" Jim said with a grin. "This is so much better than regulation."  
  
McCoy held up the oversized towel that had been in his package, his in medical blue as opposed to Jim's gold, and smiled. "Leave it to Joss to find something useful to give as a present, even on a starship."  
  
"Bones?" Jim asked, curious.  
  
"Joss wasn't one for giving presents," Bones admitted. "Our last Christmas mine was a pair of socks." He grimaced. "While she expected diamonds and gold in return. I promise you that Jo pushed for days to be able to get us anything and that these were a compromise between them."  
  
Jim ran a hand down his towel. "Well it's the best damn gift I've gotten in ages," he said with a grin. "And one of the softest towels I've ever had in my life."  
  
"Yeah," Bones agreed, running his hand down his own towel and thinking about how much his daughter must still love him. She had to, to have fought so hard against her mom in order to get him something that clearly meant she wanted him to think of her all the time. "How long before communications are up with Earth?"  
  
"Couple hours," Jim answered. "We'll vid her together to say thanks."  
  


~~

  
  
  
"Mommy!"  
  
"What is it, Jo?"  
  
"Daddy sent another letter! Will you read it to me?" Joanna came running into the kitchen where Jocelyn was folding a basket of laundry at the table. She smiled as she saw her daughter's large grin.  
  
"Of course, dear. Just let me finish folding this up first."  
  
"No mommy, I want to read it with you _now_!" She stubbornly stomped her foot, her face bearing a startling likeness to her father's.  
  
"Joanna," her mother cautioned. "You know better than that." She folded the last shirt and set it back in the basket, before sitting down in the chair behind her. "Now, come sit on my lap and we'll read it together."  
  
Jo bounced up, the smile firmly back in place, and read out with her mom, needing help with some of the words. "Hey Jo-girl. Hope this letter reaches you quickly. I miss you like mad and really wish that our shore leave coming up was going to be on Earth but we're too far away. So instead I'll write you lots and send you pictures. Promise. Our last mission went well and the fish people were returned to their planet safe and sound. We're heading now to some place I can't pronounce and never spell right, but apparently we're going to be able to actually touch solid earth for an entire week. And there are trees and rivers and maybe even a horse-like creature or two to ride. Although I've been warned not to react if they suddenly turn purple. I'll try to get you a picture of one because I know you won't believe me if I don't." Joanna broke out into giggles, and Jocelyn finished reading the letter out loud. "Uncle Jim sends his love, and wanted me to send this picture to you. I love you baby doll, and don't you ever forget it. Be good for your mama and have a good first day at school. Wish I was there to kiss you goodbye as you get on the bus. Love always, Daddy."  
  
Jocelyn pressed a button on their mail PADD and started laughing when she saw the picture. "Look, Jo!"  
  
"Mommy!" Jo said, starting her laughter all over again. "It's Captain Towel! I can't believe Uncle Jim took a picture of his towel in his chair."  
  
"Look closer," Jocelyn said, handing Jo the PADD. "Your dad's behind the chair." She didn't mention that he looked happier there than she had seen him since shortly after their wedding, keeping that small bit of heartbreak for herself.  
  
"Mommy?" Jo asked, turning in her mom's lap and clutching the PADD dearly. "Can we put the picture on the vid screen in my room? I wanna be able to see Daddy anytime I want to."  
  
"'Course darlin'," she said, running a hand through Jo's dark hair. "We'll do it right after dinner."  
  


~~

  
  
"Damnit Jim, stop pissing off your horse."  
  
"How many times do I have to remind you, Bones, that they aren't horses?" Jim patted the side of his ride's head, trying to convey comfort to the poor animal that had just turned purple for the third time that hour.  
  
"If it looks like a horse and works like a horse-"  
  
Jim rolled his eyes. "How many horses have you ever seen before that turn purple when they're tired or pissed off?"  
  
"Just means they're smart," McCoy said. "And you turn all sorts of creatures purple from frustration."  
  
"You know you love me," Jim said with a grin. "Besides, we're almost back to the campsite."  
  
McCoy sighed. "Still can't believe you talked me into going camping over shore leave. You're just lucky there's a river and horses."  
  
"Not horses," Jim reminded. "Besides, this way we're getting lots of great pictures to send to Jo. We've already got the purple horse-things, those trees that spit fire, and Spock's face when he stepped in horse shit."  
  
"Thought they weren't horses," McCoy laughed, remembering the incident. They were silent for a couple minutes until they arrived back to their tent. "Oh, and we can't forget to get shots of the sunset tonight for her. She'll love the silver sky."  
  
Jim slipped down from his horse and nodded. "It'd look great next to your towel. We have to get them into the shot somewhere."  
  
"Still can't believe you sent her a shot of your towel in the chair," McCoy sighed as he dismounted and tied up the animal. "You sure you want to keep up the whole traveling towel thing with her?"  
  
"Why not?" Jim asked, draining his water bottle. "It's totally fun, she loves it, and it gives us something to talk about with her that isn't death, disease, or boredom."  
  
"Do you always have to be right?"  
  
"Yup," Jim said, bumping McCoy with his shoulder. "Aren't you used to it yet?" He picked up his towel and grinned. "Race you to the beach!"  
  
"Damnit Jim!" McCoy yelled as he grabbed his own towel and followed him to the water.  
  


~~

  
  
"Jo, come in here for a sec," Jocelyn called as she heard the front door open.  
  
"Whaddid I do now?"  
  
Jocelyn smiled. "Nothing, promise. Just come into the living room."  
  
Joanna stood hesitantly in the door, schoolbag still on her back but shoes and socks left at the door. "Promise I'm not in trouble?"  
  
"Promise." Jocelyn held up a PADD. "You have a letter."  
  
"From Daddy?" Jo asked, quickly dropping her bag and hopping up onto the sofa.  
  
Jocelyn pulled Jo onto her lap and turned the PADD so they could both see it.  
  
"Uncle Jim!" Jo squealed happily as she read the sender information, bouncing in her mom's lap. "Hurry up mommy, I want to know what he and Daddy and the towels are doing."  
  
"Read with me, then," Jocelyn said before reading, "Hey Joey bean."  
  
Joanna snorted, not liking the new nickname. She'd be sure to tell Uncle Jim that in her next letter, too.  
  
"Hey Joey bean," Jocelyn started again, and Joanna joined her as she continued, "Sorry I didn't get a chance to write you sooner but Admiral Pike and I were on a top secret mission off ship and I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone, even your dad. Don't worry though, I'm back and your dad fixed us both up as good as new and everything worked out just fine. Your dad says I'm incapable of leaving the ship without getting hurt but we both know better, right? Just because I twisted my ankle camping and people keep shooting at me doesn't mean I can't do it. I just haven't yet.  
  
"Anyway, things have been quiet since I got back on ship so I've spent a lot of time trying to get back the strength I had before I left. Sulu, do you remember him? He's been teaching me how to fence and keeps totally beating me in the gym. Your dad took a picture of me after one of the battles, and I'm sending it to you to prove that I'm okay again. Write back soon; your dad and I always love hearing about how you beat up the boys at school and how you keep proving your teacher wrong. We're off to New Vulcan next week to help them with some technical stuff while your dad attends a medical conference there. I'm sure you'll hear from us soon since they've secured their telecommunications with Earth now. Captain Uncle Jim."  
  
"The picture mommy!" Jo said, eager. "Show me the picture!"  
  
"Hold on, Jo," Jocelyn said. "If you keep bouncing you're going to fall right off my lap and I can't hold you and operate the PADD at the same time."  
  
Jo froze as much as she could, letting her mom settle before she pulled the picture up on screen and turned it again to show Jo. "Ewww, he's all sweaty" was her reaction.  
  
"Not for long," Jocelyn pointed out. "He's got his towel there to wipe off."  
  
"He does!" Jo realized. "He must really like Captain Towel!"  
  
Jocelyn pulled her daughter into a hug. "I'm sure he does. Almost as much as he loves you." Jo snuggled deeper into her mother's arms.  
  


~~

  
  
"Where is she? Isn't she supposed to be home from school by now?"  
  
Jocelyn sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Patience, Leonard. Her bus must be running late. She'll be here any second now."  
  
McCoy opened his mouth then shut it again as Jim rested a calming hand on the small of his back. Instead he took a deep breath and said, "Sorry, Joss. We just only have so long on this connection and I don't want to waste a minute of it. I miss her."  
  
"I understand," she said. "Which is why I made sure that this could happen. She's been excited about it ever since she found out."  
  
"Really?" No matter how many times they talked or wrote letters, he was still shocked every time he got proof of how much his daughter still loved him, even though he was a galaxy away from her.  
  
Jocelyn rolled her eyes. "Of course, Leonard. You're her father, and no matter how much we may have screwed up our marriage, you've never screwed up being her father."  
  
Suddenly a door was heard crashing and something came tearing into the room and pushed Jocelyn out of the chair. "DADDY!" Joanna yelled, reaching to hug the screen before catching herself.  
  
"Hey there, Jo-girl," McCoy said, love clear in his voice. "How was school today?"  
  
"Didn't think it'd ever stop," she answered as she pulled her bookbag straps off from her shoulders. "They kept making me do math problems until the bell. They didn't realize that I totally didn't care about math when I had you waitin' for me here. And then that damn Nicole got sick just before she got on the bus so we were late to boot."  
  
"You're here now," McCoy said. "And that's what matters." He wiped at his forehead, sweat dripping down.  
  
"You okay, daddy?"  
  
He nodded. "I'm fine, darlin'. It's just hotter than blazes here on New Vulcan. The entire planet's a desert and you know I don't like the heat if I don't have some sweet tea to help keep cool." He looked at something to his left, then grinned to Jo on the screen. "Someone here wants to say hi. I'll be right back, okay Jo?"  
  
"Go, shoo," she said with a giggle as her dad stood, the screen empty for a moment. "I'll just talk to – UNCLE JIM!"  
  
"Hey there, Joey-bean."  
  
Jo crinkled her face up. "I told you not to call me that."  
  
"Sorry," Jim said, absolutely no repentance in his voice. "So what did you think of the pictures I sent you?"  
  
"The bridge is pretty," she answered. "Although I think that Mr. Spock needs a chair. It isn't nice to make him stand all the time."  
  
"I'll be sure to take that under consideration," Jim answered with a smile. "Thanks Bones," he said as he took something from the other man's hands.  
  
"Captain Towel!" Jo squealed.  
  
"Captain Towel?" McCoy asked as he pulled up another chair to sit next to Jim, using his own blue towel to wipe at his forehead.  
  
Jo nodded. "Captain Towel and Chief Medical Towel. That's what they're called. Now that they go on adventures and fly the ship and stuff they needed names. So they're Captain Towel and Chief Medical Towel."  
  
"Even my towel outranks yours, Bones," Jim laughed, giving McCoy a gentle shove.  
  
"I do have hyposprays in my bag, Jim," he reminded before turning back to Jo. "Captain Towel and Chief Medical Towel've been a blessin' on New Vulcan here. It's so hot we keep using them to try and not sweat to death. Second best present I ever got."  
  
"I knew you'd like it!" Jo said with a grin, knowing why the towel was only number two.  
  
A knock rang out over the conference call. "I'm so sorry, darlin'," Bones said. That's Mr. Spock here to take me back to the medical conference and Jim to his meeting. We're going to have to go now."  
  
"No, Daddy! Don't go yet, I just got home!"  
  
"Jo," Jim said. "If I tell you a secret will you promise to be a good girl for your mom?"  
  
"'Pends," Jo said honestly. "What is it?"  
  
"Enterprise is scheduled to be near Earth for a whole week next month."  
  
"Really?!"  
  
"Cross my heart," Jim said. "I hadn't even told your dad yet." He shot a look over to Bones and shrugged, mouthing a sorry. "I was thinking this was a good time of year to come visit Georgia. Have some peaches and pecans?"  
  
Jo started bouncing all over again in her chair. "Yes, yes! I'll make you a pie all by myself!"  
  
"Okay Jo-girl, we really have to go now," Bones said as another knock rang out. "But we'll see you again soon. Never forget how much I love you."  
  
"Love you too, daddy," Jo whispered as she waved. "Bye Uncle Jim!"  
  
"Bye Joey-bean." The screen went black, leaving Joanna glaring at the monitor over Jim's final parting shot.  
  
Jocelyn came back over and pulled Jo into a hug, knowing that it'd be another rough night of tears, as it always was any time Jo had to say goodbye to her dad.  
  


~~

  
  
McCoy came around the corner and onto the observation desk just as Jim was laying out the second towel next to the first. "What's this?" he asked, stepping forward. Jim had commed him at the end of his shift asking Bones to meet him here.  
  
"Sit down," Jim said, voice blank.  
  
"Jim?" It was never a good thing when Jim was without emotion; his passion was part of what made him such a good captain, and, if McCoy admitted it to himself, so charming.  
  
"Please Bones, just sit for a second."  
  
"Okay," he said tentatively, sitting on his towel, looking away from the stars that sat stationary outside of the windows before them. They'd just finished their last diplomatic meeting on the planet a few hours before and were scheduled to leave orbit in the morning to head back to Earth.  
  
Jim sat down on his own towel and turned to face Bones, legs crossed. "I got a message from Pike an hour ago," he said, not making eye contact.  
  
"What'd he say?" Bones asked. "If he criticized you for what went down planetside-"  
  
"No, Bones." Jim held a hand up to Bones's mouth in an attempt to silence him. "No, just let me talk, please?"  
  
Two pleases from Jim in a minute was never a good thing. Bones shut up and let Jim talk.  
  
"As I said, I got a message from Pike. And you're not going to like it." He finally made eye contact with the other man before taking a breath and saying in a rush, "Our shore leave is cancelled and we leave in an hour for the other side of the quadrant. Apparently we're needed to protect some border and we're the only ship available."  
  
"Bullshit," Bones said. "There is no way in hell there isn't another ship somewhere in the entire fucking galaxy that can't take care of that while we have our damned rest."  
  
"I tried, Bones," Jim said, his voice clearly showing how much he hated the orders too. "I really did. I want to see her almost as much as you do."  
  
That brought Bones up short; he suddenly looked and sounded deflated and defeated. "Year and a half, Jim. I haven't held her for a year and a half."  
  
"I know, Bones," Jim said, pulling the other man into his arms and holding tight. "I know. We'll get there, I promise."  
  
Bones sighed loudly. "How the hell am I going to break this to Jo? We don't even have video communications right now."  
  
"We'll write it together," Jim said, standing up. "That way she can hate us both while we break her heart."  
  


~~

  
  
Jocelyn set the PADD down on the table in front of her before looking at the clock on the wall. Jo was due back in a few minutes and she had to get herself under control before then.  
  
She took a few deep breaths then stood and got a glass of water. She hated Leonard for putting her in this position, for having to stay behind while he broke his daughter's heart, again. Deep down she knew his heart was breaking just as badly, but right now it was Joanna's that concerned her most.  
  
"Mom, I'm home!" she yelled from the door, slamming it behind her and kicking her shoes against the wall.  
  
"Did you have a good time at Craig's?"  
  
"'Course," Jo said, coming into the kitchen. "What's for dinner?"  
  
"Come sit with me for a second," Jocelyn said, setting her empty glass in the sink and heading back to the table.  
  
"What's wrong? You only make me sit with you with that voice when I'm in trouble or something bad's happened."  
  
"You're too smart for your own good, you know that?" Jocelyn said with a sad laugh. "You get that from your dad."  
  
"Mom?" Jo said, not letting the topic change. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I got a letter from your dad," Jocelyn said.  
  
Jo looked at her, her face twisted. "But why would he write when he'll be here in a few days? That's so stupid."  
  
"Jo."  
  
"NO!"  
  
"I'm so sorry, Jo," Jocelyn started.  
  
"No! NO! NO! NO!" Jo jumped off her chair and kicked it. "Daddy's coming home to visit, and nobody is going to stop him. He and Uncle Jim promised. We were going to go to the zoo and pet the llamas and-"  
  
"Jo. Stop this right now."  
  
"No!" She ran from the room and out into the back yard. Running to the old shed she started hammering her fists against the walls as hard as she could, getting in a few good solid whacks before collapsing in a heap in tears.  
  
"He promised, Mommy," she cried as her mom picked her up and held her close.  
  
"Sssh, I know, darlin'. And you know that he's hurting over this as much as you are."  
  
"I hate Starfleet and I hate space and I hate Uncle Jim and Daddy for not saying no."  
  
"I know," Jocelyn said, hugging her tightly. "I know."  
  


~~

  
  
"What on earth are you doing with that PADD?" Jim asked as he crossed the beach back to where he and Bones had laid out their blanket and umbrella. He shook his head to spray Bones before sitting down beside him.  
  
"Watch it," Bones growled, wiping the screen of his PADD on his towel. "I'm writing Jo. I haven't since we got here and I don't want her to think I forgot about her."  
  
Jim smiled. "She would never think that. She knows how much you love her."  
  
"Perhaps," Bones said, "But I don't want her to forget it. And since we missed seeing her last month and we're here to relax, I want to write to her."  
  
"You know I'd never say anything against you writing to her," Jim said, resting his head on Bones's shoulder and watching him as he typed. "I love her too and it broke my heart to not see her."  
  
Bones turned his head and looked at Jim. "You do love her, don't you?"  
  
"Of course," Jim said. "You ever doubted that?" He sat up and twisted himself until he was able to sit and look at Bones's face properly. "I've loved your daughter from the first moment I met her. I've loved her almost as long as I've loved you. It was just, a faster realization with her."  
  
"Only you, Jim," Bones said, a smile on his face showing the grump in his voice wasn't really to be believed. He bent down and gave Jim a quick kiss. "You're the only man I know who would twist up me and Jo into one declaration of love like that."  
  
"I better be the only man telling you he loves you," Jim said. "Otherwise I'll have to start brawling again. And then you'll have to patch me up and you'll bitch and moan for weeks."  
  
"Who says I'll fix you?" Bones asked, giving Jim another kiss before returning to his letter. "Hey, what pictures should we send this time?"  
  
"Definitely the one of the towel animals on the bed in the room," Jim said, turning again to be able to watch as Bones worked. "And maybe the one Uhura took of us yesterday here on the beach? We both had our towels on in that one too. We can tell her that Captain Towel and Chief Medical Towel are on shore leave too."  
  
Bones laughed. "That's perfect. She'll love it."  
  


~~

  
  
The transporter pad shimmered as two people beamed aboard, Scotty at the command terminal and being extra careful with this particular cargo, knowing that if something went wrong the man standing beside him would be having a Scotty sandwich for lunch. Luckily nothing went wrong, and the grin on Jim's face grew even larger as he stepped forward to meet the two ladies. "Jocelyn," he nodded to the older of the two before looking down at the other who had run up to his legs and was now gripping him hard. "Hey Joey-bean. I barely recognized you. You're so big, now."  
  
"Where's Daddy?" she asked quietly, worry in her voice.  
  
"He's in surgery right now," Jim assured her. "Someone got hurt and your dad had to fix them up or he would have been here to meet you. You'll see him soon, I promise."  
  
"Uncle Jim?" Jo asked, tugging on the side of his pants. "Where's the bathroom? I've been holdin' it for ages 'cause that shuttle smelled funny and then we had to rush to get up here."  
  
"Joanna!" Jocelyn said, voice full of exasperation. "If you'd told me you had to go I would have made sure you could have before we beamed aboard."  
  
"It's okay, Jocelyn," Jim said. "My quarters are just down the hall. She can use mine before I show you two to your quarters."  
  
"I get to see your room?" Jo asked, excited. "Can I bounce on your bed, too? Craig'll never believe me when I tell him I got to bounce on a Captain's bed on a starship!"  
  
Jocelyn's exclamation of shock was drowned out by the laughter of both Jim and Scotty as Jim picked Jo up into his arms before whispering in her ear, "I'll let you bounce as long as you don't tell either of your parents. Deal?"  
  
"Deal!" Jo said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
The trip down the corridor was a short one, and it was only a few moments before Jim was entering his security code to let them into his rooms. "The bathroom's through that door there, Jo," Jim pointed as he set her down. "We'll wait for you right here."  
  
"'Kay," she said, almost running into the indicated room. Which was for the better as her dad immediately stepped out of Jim's bedroom wearing only Captain Towel wrapped around his body.  
  
"Jim, that you?" he asked before stopping dead in his tracks. "Umm, hi Jocelyn," he said awkwardly, looking between them both. "Wait, Jim? Where's Jo? Is she okay?"  
  
Jim smiled at him. "She's fine, just had to use the bathroom. So you might want to go put on some clothes."  
  
"Leonard?" Jocelyn said coming out of her shock, voice a mixture of anger and hesitation.  
  
"Not now, Jocelyn, please," Jim said, indicating the bathroom door opening behind her with a nod.  
  
"Fine," she said not looking away from her ex-husband. "But we will be talking about this later."  
  
"Of course," Bones answered before going back into the bedroom.  
  
"Was that Daddy's voice I heard?" Joanna asked as she came back into the room. "Isn't he fixing up that person who got hurt?"  
  
"He got done early," Jim said. "He's just changing in my bedroom, and then he'll come out and give you a big hug, I'm sure."  
  
Joanna went quiet and looked at her feet, twisting one on its toe. "Uncle Jim," she said quietly. "Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Anything, Jo."  
  
"Why is daddy changing in your room and not his? And why is Chief Medical Towel hanging in your bathroom?"  
  
"Because Captain Towel got lonely," Bones said as he came out of the bedroom holding the towel in his hands. "Why don't you give me a big hug and then take him back into the bathroom for me so they can be together?"  
  
"Daddy!" Jo squealed, running into his arms. "I missed you so much, Daddy!"  
  
"Missed you too, darlin'," he said into her hair, holding onto her as tight as he could. "Missed you so much." Bones finally let her down and handed her the golden towel. "Can you hang that up for me, sugarcube? Right next to Chief Medical Towel?"  
  
"Then we'll show you to your quarters," Jim said with a twinkle in his eye. "And your own bed to bounce on."  
  
"Damnit, Jim!" Bones growled.  
  
"Careful Bones," Jim laughed, "Jo's here and you don't want her to learn how to swear."  
  
Jocelyn just stood to the side, watching it all.  
  


~~

  
  
"She asleep?" Jocelyn asked from the sofa as McCoy stepped into the room.  
  
"Went out like a light," he said with a nod, coming around to sit beside her. "Look, I'm sorry. We should have told you right away." He paused. "I should have told you. Especially before you got here. I didn't mean for you to-"  
  
Jocelyn interrupted him. "How long, Leonard? And don't say it just happened because I was watching you two. It isn't just a fling."  
  
"You're right," he said with a sigh. "It isn't. Jim and I . . . it's complicated. As hell. You know we ended up together on the shuttle ride. What I didn't tell you is that we clicked, right away." He stood up and started pacing, something they both knew he always did when he was trying to figure out a puzzle or talk about his emotions. "Jim wouldn't let me wallow in the divorce, in leaving Jo behind. He pulled me out when I was at my worst and wouldn't take no for an answer." He looked up at her then, pausing in his steps. "By the time we were done at the Academy I knew we'd be together for life. I just never thought he could ever feel for me what I'd realized I felt for him."  
  
"Leonard," Jocelyn started, but stopped as he held up his hand.  
  
"No Joss, please, just let me finish. Then you can yell or cry or whatever you need to do." He started pacing again. "When Jim came to Georgia I swear we were just friends. I wouldn't have lied to you like that. You know that." He ran a hand through his hair before tossing himself back onto the sofa in agitation. "Then we were here, on the ship, and Jim was always getting hurt and we got even closer. Jim, Jim needed me even more than before and I tried to be there for him." He let out a deep breath before finishing, "And then we didn't get back to Earth and we were supposed to come see Joanna and Jim was there to comfort me. And it just sort of, happened. Not all at once but suddenly we were together and I didn't know how to tell you and I still don't know how to tell Jo but you're here now and just-"  
  
Jocelyn set her hand on his arm, her face full of understanding. "Just tell her, Leonard. She loves you both. I'm sure she'll love to be able to call him Daddy Jim."  
  
"Daddy-" McCoy's eyebrows were raised into their danger zone.  
  
"You love each other, Leonard," Jocelyn said. "Even if you haven't talked about it yet, you do. One day she will call him dad. And I'm okay with that."  
  
McCoy looked at her for a second before pulling her into a hug. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"  
  
"You gave me Joanna," she answered, hugging him back. "You gave me our little girl."  
  


~~

  
  
"This was the best picnic ever," Joanna said with a grin, leaning back against the pillows that Jim had brought out of their rooms for them to use. "Too bad mommy couldn't be here too, she'd've liked to see the stars shooting by. Damn headache."  
  
"Jo!" Jim laughed. "You know better than to say that."  
  
"Daddy says it all the time so it can't be that bad," she said with a grin. "Right, Daddy?"  
  
"Just don't say it around your mom or grandparents, okay?" Bones said with a sigh, knowing he'd lost the battle before it even began.  
  
"I'll try," she said, a twinkle in her eye that strangely resembled the one that Jim's eyes got when he didn't mean a word he'd just said.  
  
Jim stretched out on the other side of Joanna, having just finished putting all the dishes back into the larger basket he'd brought and straightening out the towels that they were sitting on once more. Bones had been stretched out for a few minutes, and once Jim had settled he made eye contact with the other man. They both nodded, the signal that the picnic was over and talk time was about to begin.  
  
"Jo," Bones started, running a hand through her hair and taking comfort in her being this close. "What would you say about Captain Towel and Chief Medical Towel living together permanently in Jim's quarters?"  
  
She turned to look at him, questions clearly in her eyes. "No more adventures? I don't think they'd like that much. They're used to leaving all the time."  
  
"They'd still go on their adventures," Bones promised. "They'd just always be together when they did."  
  
"Like you and Jim?"  
  
"Yes like-" Bones stopped and looked at his daughter. "What do you mean like me and Jim?"  
  
"I'm not stupid, Daddy," Jo said rolling her eyes. "You and Jim are always together, just like Colin and Claire at school. They do everything together, well, except for that time that Colin ran into the creek without his pants on. Then Claire just screamed bloody murder at him until some parents came and got them both in trouble."  
  
"Your dad and I are together a lot," Jim said, clearly trying to get control back of the situation. "But it's a little different than Colin and Claire."  
  
"Why?" Jo asked, turning to look at him. "Just because you kiss and stuff?"  
  
"Jo-jo, how do you know about that?"  
  
"Daddy, I told you, I'm not stupid. You look at him like you used to look at Mommy before you went away. And since you and Mommy used to kiss then you must kiss Uncle Jim, too. Plus you used Captain Towel the other day instead of yours. You wouldn't hurt Chief Medical Towel like that unless he knew that Uncle Jim was going to use him later the same as you'd used Captain Towel."  
  
Jim started laughing. "You're right, Bones, she is smarter than both of us put together." He sat up and pulled Joanna into a hug.  
  
"Jo, are you okay with Jim becoming part of our family?" Bones asked, holding his breath as he waited for the answer.  
  
"He always was," she answered, pulling him into the hug with them. "He's always been my Uncle Jim." She pulled back and looked Jim in the eye, face very serious. "But if you hurt my daddy there's gonna be hell to pay, damnit, and you'll have to answer to me."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Jim said, unable to keep the smile off his face. "I think the rest of the crew here'd would help you with that too."  
  
"Don't need the rest of the crew," Joanna said. "I'm mean like spitfire and you'd never walk again."  
  
"I'll remember that," Jim said as Bones laughed loud enough for it to echo off the walls.  
  


~~

  
  
"Come _on_ Dad," Jo said, trying to pull him out from his chair. "I want to go down the slide again."  
  
"I'm tired Joey-bean," Jim said. "Can't Bones go with you?"  
  
"No, he and Mommy are over getting us lunch. He said I had to stay with you but right now you're being boring."  
  
"Boring?" Jim said. "We can't have anyone hear you call Captain James T. Kirk boring!" He stood up and picked up the tubes that were sitting next to his chair. "Which slide are we doing this time?"  
  
Instead of answering she slid behind him and started pushing. "Just go!" she said, laughing.  
  
"Come right back when you're done," Jocelyn said, coming forward with a tray full of food in her hands. "You'll have to have lunch after!"  
  
"She's totally not listening," Bones said, setting his own tray on the table. "Jim'll make sure she gets back right away, though, no worries."  
  
Jocelyn pulled up her own chair. "I know. I trust him with her as much as I do you." She wrapped her towel around her shoulders and dug into her burger. "It's great to see you happy, Leonard. He's a good influence on you."  
  
"You're probably the only one who would ever call Jim Kirk a good influence," Bones laughed. "Don't tell him though, it'll go right to his head."  
  
"What will?" Jim asked as he and Joanna came back to the table, soaked.  
  
"Never you mind," Jocelyn laughed. "Come here Jo, you need to wrap up in your towel while we eat."  
  
"Not a towel," Jo pouted.  
  
"Okay then, you need to wrap yourself up in Cadet Awesome while we eat."  
  
"Better," Jo said with a grin, pulling the blue and gold striped towel tightly around her. "Now where are my onion rings?"

Captain and Chief Medical Towel on their visit to my house:

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Racking Up](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26983987) by [bluegeekEM](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluegeekEM/pseuds/bluegeekEM)




End file.
